Monday, January 5

Hot on the heels of their retro-design smash hit, the Bullitt, Bell has decided to show some love to the original retro helmet, the Custom 500. The Custom 500 has been a staple of Bell’s helmet line, harking back to the lids worn in Easy Rider, and making riders everywhere yearn for a classic and simple open-face helmet.

The first of the new graphics available for spring 2015 is the Bell Custom 500 Airtrix Delinquent Helmet. Once again, Bell has teamed up with custom paint shop Airtrix to bring a look that harks back to the ‘70s. A simple silver serves as the base, with red and black accent stripes for a restrained look that offers a nice alternative to other gaudy graphics available.

Next up is the aptly named Bell Custom 500 Retro Helmet. The powder blue base color of the Retro is straight from the famous Gulf racing livery of the ‘60s. To match this motif, Bell went for a minimalist Custom 500 logo in black along the base of the helmet, with the requisite racing stripes right behind that.

Last of the three offerings for the spring season is the Bell Custom 500 Independent Helmet. With a metallic silver base coat, and a logo reminiscent of West Coast Choppers, this is definitely a graphic aimed at the rider on a custom bike. The design remains simple to match the other two releases, but the logo on the side has just the right amount of flair.

Taking a look at these three new graphics for the Custom 500, it is plain to see the theme for this season is restrained simplicity. With a plethora of ridiculous graphics available from other manufacturers, it is refreshing to see Bell come out with designs that are crisp, clean and subdued.